Dessiccation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act or process of removing all moisture from something until it becomes completely dry
2. The state of being thoroughly dried out, with all liquid content removed or evaporated
3. Complete dehydration achieved through removal of water or moisture from a substance or organism

Etymology: Latin "siccus" meant "dry," and the same root gave French "sec," which still means dry today. Latin added the prefix "de-" to form "desiccare," meaning to dry thoroughly or to dry up completely. The intensifying sense of "de-" here is what gives the word its force: it suggests removing all moisture, not just making something drier. The noun comes from the Late Latin "desiccatio," the act or process of drying out, and passed into English through French. Its verb counterpart, "desiccate," follows the same path. Scientists and food producers use the noun for the removal of water from materials, whether to preserve foods or to study how living tissues lose moisture.

Synonyms: desiccation, drying, dehydration

Antonyms: hydration, moistening